Toilet-paper holder.



A. B. HUBBARD 8: 8. J. BENS.

TOILET PAPER HOLDER. APPLICATION FILED MAY29. 1909.

Patented June 7,1910.

ANDRiW B GRAHAM co PMOYO-LWMDGRAPH NE SA ES PTENT ALBERT B. HUBBARD, 0F FRUITVALE, AND SAMUEL J. BENS, OF BERKELEY,

' CALIFORNIA.

TOILET-PAPER HOLDER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ALBERT B. HUBBARD and SAMUEL J. BENs, citizens of the United States, residing, respectively, at Fruitvale, in the county of Alameda, and Berkeley, in the county of Alameda and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Toilet-Paper Holders, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to improvements in toilet paper holders.

Toilet paper, as now in most general use, is supplied by manufacturers in either roll form, or in separate sheets in convenient packages. Many holders have been devised for holding this paper in either the roll form or in the separate sheet form.

It is the object of our invention to produce a device which is adapted to hold such paper of either the roll form or the separate sheet form as desired.

Our invention is illustrated by the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view. Fig. 2 is a side elevation showing the invention adapted for holding paper 0 separate sheet form. Fig. 3 is a side elevation showing the invention adapted for holding aper of the roll form, and Fig. 4E is a pre 'erred form of ratchet mechanism for operating the roller of our device.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

Referring more particularly to the drawings the numeral 1 represents a suitable base to which is secured the piece 2, and the base 1 and the piece 2 form a support for the paper of separate sheet form. In construction we prefer that the piece 2 be integral with the base 1. Pivotally mounted on the outer end of the piece 2 is the arm 3, which is adapted to carry the roller 4: on a plane parallel with the surface of the base 1. A spring 5 is provided, and so adapted, to tend to move the roller 4, through the medium of the arm 3, toward the surface of the base 1. On the roller 4 we provide friction members 6 of some suitable material. In construction we prefer that these friction members be of rubber, or some such material, and suitable for these members are ordinary rubber bands. Such bands for such purpose are effective in use and can be readily replaced when worn.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 29, 1909.

Patented June 7, 1910. Serial No. 499,201.

Suitably secured to the base 1 is the mem her 7, of some resilient material, and adapt ed to cross from side to side the said base. on the part of this member 7, which crosses the base 1, and near the center line of said base, is the needle 8. The point of the said needle is adapted, by means of the resilient member 7, to have a tendency to bear toward the surface of the base 1. In this member 7 is the loop 9, which serves not only to increase the resiliency of the member 7, but to provide guides on each side of the roll, or package, of paper inserted in the holder, to retain the paper in place.

On the end of the roller 4: we provide a device, of which we show a preferred form of construction in Fig. 4:, for manually turning the roller when desired in one direction only. It will be apparent, however, that similar devices of many forms of construction may be employed for the same purpose. Loosely mounted on the one end of the roller is the annular member 11 on the inner circumference of which is an annular groove 12. Secured at its one end on the roller is the spring member 13. The opposite end 14 of the spring member 13 bears against the inner surface of the annular groove 12. In the periphery of this annular member 11, and opening into the annular groove 12, are the apertures 15. The end 14 of the spring member 13 is adapted to engage in the apertures 15 when the annular member 11 is turned in the one direction, and so impart a rotary motion to the roller 4. When the member 11 is turned in the opposite direction the end 14: of the spring member 13 will pass over the apertures and the roller 4: will remain stationary.

If it is desired to adapt our invention to hold paper of the separate sheet form the package of paper is inserted into the device, as shown in Fig. 2, with the paper 16 placed between the base 1 and the roller 4, and with the needle 8 resting against the outer sheet of the package. When the roller 4: is turned from right to left, as shown in the drawing, the friction members 6 will tend to force the sheet lying next to it upward. As it moves it will be torn away from contact with the needle 8. The needle 8, bearing, by reason of the tension of the spring member 7 against the sheets adjacent to the one being moved, will serve to hold the adjacent sheets from moving. When the first sheet is moved away from contact with the friction members on the roller 4 the second sheet is brought into contact with the friction members on the roller 4, and it, by repeating the operation of the roller 4, may be removed from the holder in the same manner as described in the removal of the first sheet. In this way all of the sheets of the package may be removed from the holder, but only one sheet may be taken with each operation of the roller. As we have provided for turning the roller only in one direction it is apparent that the paper can be taken from the package only in the one direction.

If it is desired to use the holder for holding paper in roll form the roll of paper 17 is placed on the roller, as shown in Fig. 3, and the paper removed from the roll in the usual manner by unwinding it. When in such use the spring 5 will tend to press the outer surface of the paper roll against the surface of the base 1 and thereby provide frictional resistance to the withdrawal of the paper.

We have not shown, or described, a casing for inclosing our form of holder. It is so apparent that any casing of suitable form to inclose the device and the paper held in it and provided with a suitable aperture for the egress of the paper may be employed that it is not deemed necessary to describe it here.

We do not limit ourselves to the precise construction and arrangement herein shown and described, as we desire to avail ourselves of such modification and equivalents as fall properly within the spirit of our invention.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a toilet paper holder, a frame, an arm carrying a roller in a plane with the surface of said frame, resilient means tending to press said roller toward said frame, a needle, said needle mounted on a resilient member, said resilient member having loops therein, said resilient member tending to press the point of said needle toward said frame, and means to rotate said roller in one direction, substantially as described.

2. In a toilet paper holder, a source of paper supply consisting of independent sheets, a frame for supporting the same, a rotatable roller in resilient contact with said paper supply, a needle, said needle mounted on a resilient member, said resilient member having loops therein, said loops being on, two sides of said paper supply, said resilient member tending to press the point of said needle in contact with said paper supply, and means to rotate said roller in one direction, substantially as described.

3. In a toilet paper holder, a frame, an arm carrying a roller in a plane with the surface of said frame, an annular member rotatably mounted on said roller, said annular member having an annular groove in its inner circumference, a resilient member secured to said roller and disposed within said groove, and means contained in said annular member to engage said resilient member when turned in one direction, substantially as described.

4. In a toilet paper holder, a frame, an arm carrying a roller in a plane with the surface of said frame, an annular member rotatably mounted on said roller, said annular member having an annular groove in its inner circumference, a resilient member secured to said roller and disposed within said groove, apertures in the periphery of said annular member, and said resilient member adapted to engage in said apertures when said annular member is turned in one direction, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we have affixed our signatures in the presence of two witnesses this 24th day of May 1909.

ALBERT B. HUBBARD. SAMUEL J. BENS.

Witnesses A. DIXON, JAMES J. GLovER. 

